pärm

Pärm is a Swedish term that denotes a binder or the binding of a book. In everyday use, it refers to a device used to hold and organize sheets of paper, such as a ring binder or a lever-arch file. Pärmar are common in offices, schools, and homes for filing documents and presenting information.

Most pärmar are made from cardboard, plastic, or leather, and are sized to standard paper formats such as A4. They can use different mechanisms to secure pages, including metal rings of varying numbers, clips, or a lever-action mechanism. Pärmar are often labeled on the spine or cover to identify their contents, and may have a pocket inside the cover for loose sheets.

Besides document binders, pärm can also describe the binding or cover of a book, i.e., the book's exterior binding rather than its loose pages. In this sense, pärm conveys the appearance and structural wrap of a volume.

The term is most common in Swedish, but the concept has parallels in other languages, where binders or folders are used to organize papers and books' bindings.